Danica gets Tab Boyd as new spotter

CONCORD, N.C. -- Danica Patrick will have a new spotter for Saturday's Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway in Tab Boyd, a former spotter for Juan Pablo Montoya and an employee at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

Boyd will replace Mark Robertson as Patrick makes her second Cup start of the season.

"That was definitely something that I've been thinking a lot about the last couple of months," Patrick said Thursday during a promotion for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "As a driver you just need to have someone on the radio that you click with. Everybody needs something different.

"For me, I need someone ... I'm going to say, almost drive the car. Like, tell me you're turning in too early, tell me be patient with the throttle; OK, pick it up. I need somebody that is familiar with those patterns, because I'm not."

Patrick will remain with Truck Series driver Rick Carelli as her Nationwide spotter. Carelli spotted for Regan Smith last year when he won the Cup race at Darlington.

"I think that's what's allowed me over the last couple of years to look decent out there at times and go, 'You're really getting it now and not being too far off and making good progress,' " Patrick said of her spotters. "Tab will be a good addition."